Kishan smashes 10 sixes as India crush NZ

NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan smashed a 42-ball hundred as India showcased their batting firepower ahead of next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, beating New Zealand by 46 runs in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to seal a 4-1 series win.

Kishan clobbered 10 sixes in an incendiary 103 off 43 balls to anchor India’s imposing 271-5 at the Greenfield International Stadium.

New Zealand opener Finn Allen hammered six sixes in a 38-ball 80 to give the chase early momentum but they were bowled out for 225 with two balls left in the innings after India seamer Arshdeep Singh took a career-best 5-51.

Earlier, Kishan, who missed the previous game in Visakhapatnam with a niggle, returned at number three and tore into the attack from the outset. Ish Sodhi bore the brunt in the 12th over, when Kishan lashed four fours and two sixes in a seven-ball over that cost 29 runs.

After playing second fiddle to Kishan for much of their rapid 137-run stand off 58 balls, India captain Suryakumar Yadav (63) exhibited his own power-hitting prowess by smashing three sixes in a Jacob Duffy over.

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Kishan brought up his 100 with a six before Duffy deceived him with a slow bouncer and Hardik Pandya smacked four sixes in his 42 off 17 balls down the order.

New Zealand lost opener Tim Seifert cheaply but Allen and Rachin Ravindra (30) kept them in the hunt with a century stand before their chase was derailed.

After spinner Axar Patel (3-33) removed Allen and Glenn Phillips, seamer Arshdeep demolished the New Zealand middle order to claim his maiden five-wicket haul in T20 Internationals.